Evaluating open questions

ISPA consult recommends the integration of open questions into the survey concept of an employee survey. With great success, we offer our customers the evaluation of open questions. Skilfully shaped open questions are a very valuable and authentic source of information, which allow the use of the employee's knowledge, since they are experts in their specific fields. Our experience tells us that more than half of the participating employees answer the open questions.

Open questions as a valuable source of information

Even though open questions are time-consuming and costly, we offer our customers the evaluation of open questions and, over the years, have developed a method, which provides the customer with a high additional value.

Method of evaluating open questions

Aim:
addition and deepening of structured questions with given response options

Methodology:
qualitative content analysis

Disambiguation:
objectified method for the systematic characterisation of messages (e.g. answers to open questions in a questionnaire)

Creation of categories:
categories = topics, greater aspects, characteristics, main focuses, to which concrete texts are assigned to

Coding:
Assignment of relevant text passages to the created categories (= form of data interpretation), often with the help of a coding guideline. The coding guideline contains definitions of categories, anchor examples, and coding instructions.

Anonymity protection:
The original wording of the texts is adopted, but rewritten if the handwriting could identify the author; additional measurements regarding anonymity protection as and when required.